Some photos from our trip to Sydney to see family and soak up all the sun! Read more

I walked for miles in Sydney. It was a city that lent itself more to that than anything else.Hills too steep to cycle up, public transport that was well-connected but not as affordable or regular as I would have liked and the weather in late December and early January, read more

Some photos of happy times travelling in Australia. Read more

I see him from across a crowded room. There are others who see him too. They all appear as mesmerised by him as I. This does not surprise me. He is marvellous, and is deep in thought.I wonder if he is aware of all the attention, of all the read more

So I'm still in Sydney. Well, for blogging purposes I am. I'm in Sydney and I'm heading to the bridge... Sydney Harbour Bridge.When planning my Sydney activities I found myself faced with a dilemma, one that would define me. It would make me a member of one of read more

There are many views in Sydney. The open bowl of the harbour lends itself to being admired from virtually 360 degrees of different view points. Not to mention the views from taking a ferry through the harbour.We found our favourite view less than a mile from the flat we read more

During our travels NewMan and I stayed in some truly wonderful hotels; luxurious rooms,  stunning views, ideal locations, quaint and interesting, cheap and cheerful – we were lucky enough to do them all. However, it was the self-catering accommodation, which we remember as being particularly special and the way read more

Rightly or wrongly the names of some places carry more weight than others. You instantly associate with an image, a lifestyle, a people and a stereotype or two.For the young British traveller, Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia has to be one of those places. It summons daydreams of a read more

There are many Australian institutions - Vegemite, Steve Irwin (RIP), beating the English at cricket, walking barefoot anywhere and everywhere - but the one I was most keen on trying as soon as I landed was brunch. Over the last decade Australia and to a similar extent New Zealand have read more

I'm not a zoo person.Until only a few years ago I was bonafide and self-glorified non-animal type of person. Sure animals were cute and I've always liked the way Disney films made characters out of all sorts of species of animals, but I was actively not an animal person. Read more

Imagine this:You are a girl of seventeen and both your parents are dead, as are all of your brothers and sisters.Since their deaths you have been living in a crowded orphanage and have seen, heard and felt first hand the devastating effects of a national famine, which has read more

The advantages of seeing a city with someone who lives there are many; instant familiarisation, a license to cut out a lot of the crap and the unique insight of a local.The advantages of seeing a city with someone who used to live there are very different but are read more

Sydney and I feels like a long time ago.We lasted over two weeks but thanks to New Year, a long list of long lost friends (of NewMan's) to visit and my best tourist impression yet the time flew by because yes, I was having fun. Over the next few read more